6v to 12v on the cheap

[bloodyjack]

Has anyone upgraded to 12v just by changing the regulator? If you measure the field coil resistance and add a ballest resistor (In series)of the same value you should be able to run the 6v generator at 12v. Then just bulbs and battery.

[58flh]

Your halfway there!--There will be some wires that will have to be increased to #14,& #12/-Always use 2 grounds/Its such a headache saver.1 could roy off & she wont skip a beat!.I Suggest a CYCLE-ELECTRICS GENNY!--(IM on my 3rd week & It just blows my mind how good the Quality is/There not cheap!/BUT I have been playing with 3-gennys alongtime --They would or 1-would of took me to 300K on my 58flh.So you can imagine how well worn they got!--I put a new CE on & my Pan never ran so quiet!/Yes I had a lot of pole issues!/But you do what you can to keep moving!.Its my olny source of transpotation for 5yrs. now since I sold my 460-Bronco/But that's another story!.BUY GOOD 12-V bulbs for dash & taillight.spots whatever you have!--It took a total of 2-minits to cut the box open & 15-min. later It was grand!/Havent touched anything since!.Its nice not to pull a toothpick out of your mouth at a redlight & PUSH on the Brushes until the headlight gets bright!They come with the ugly-end reg. or you can get the same shit & mount under the bike-(regulater).So you don't interfere with a footclutch if using one!/I change on & off so I got the (LOW VOLTAGE GENNY & REG. for batteryies that sit in a oilbath.I talked to a guy who bolted his on 11yrs ago!--Still has the same battery!--They come highly recommended!-----This is worth the $420 with shipping! Add $20 for all bulbs-(headlight,tail,dash).You can get a V-TWINGE genny or CCI genny both work for a year or 2 without service!.---Respectfully----Richie

[es225]

A ballast between the regulator and the field coils is not a good idea, it is better to put the field coils in series (they are parallel in 6 volt gennies). It saves you half of the field coil current! Another point: you will have to keep the revs up in order to get 12 volt output from a 6 volt armature with the headlight on. Around town riding after sunset will leave you with an empty battery unless you remain in second gear all of the time. I did some experiments but decided to keep the six volt system...
JW

[awander]

No need to use heavier wire when changing from 6V to 12V.

6V uses the heavier wire(less volts, more amps needed for the same power).

[Frankenstein]

I've been doing the 6v to12v conversion for years by simply using the 65a fields in the 32e, 52 or fan genny. It's an easy to-do, and you do not have to ride around in second gear to keep charged. For whatever reason, the 65a field is much more efficient than any series or parallel setup. Did extensive testing several years ago with mechanical tach, variable loads, hefty ac motor to run the gennys.
With the 32e, I run a 60/100 halogen headlamp, and as long as I keep it on low beam in town, It does just fine.
With the fan genny, I rode to Daytona from upstate NY two years ago, and ran the headlight and the electric gloves most of the way down. The bonus side of the 6 volt armature is it is virtually indestructible as the heavier gauge windings in the armature resist overheating. How many 65a gennys have you seen that have burned out their armature from one type of misuse or another? For me, the answer is too many.
Hey, each to their own, but I've been running 32e's for 30 years this way and have nothing but smiles.
DL

[es225]

I must admit I did the testing on a 32E genny, with the field coils wired in series in order to prevent them from overheating. Net output (with the 20 W needed for the field coils subtrackted from the gross output) was 65 W at 34 mph in top gear (third gear on my 45). That's not enuff for around town riding, although the output increases steeply at higher speeds (approx. 20 W for each 5 mph)
Model 58 gennies have the field coils already in series, so a ballast is needed to prevent overheating indeed. The suggested alternative, model 65 coils, is obviously the best solution, but not an el cheapo one...
JW

[Motorcyclemike]

Just in case this guy don't know this : Do you know what 12 volt battery that you need to use?.....Theirs a low amp CE Genny and a High amp CE Genny !
If you use the low amp output genny you need to use the 5.5 amp hour Battery and that small 12volt will fit in the 6volt battery area......However you need to add some short 2X4s to raise that small 12 volt battey level so it will easy to hook up and secure with a strap that has a rubber strip on it to protect the top of the battery ! keep us all informed as how your doing?

[Frankenstein]

I shop the swap meets for field coils when I can. I've had problems with new ones from V-twin recently, just too bulky to fit where they need to go. I don't even think they'd fit in a 65a genny. You don't need to be an electrical genius to buy used, just a good visual exam for physical damage, and an up close sniff for nasty electrical burnt smell. If it smells good offer 'em 5-10 bucks. Usually, if they look/smell good, they are good
I use the same criteria for buying armatures at swap meets. There are enough people who know too little about genny repair that in the process of testing/fixing a genny a lot of good armatures get tossed under the bench as scrap.
And when it comes to selling them at a swap meet, they're willing to take your offer of 5-10 bucks for a "pig in a poke".
Anyway, it works for me, and if an armature does turn out to be bad, hey you can always use it for a tent stake!
DL
(If anyone has to have original 32e 6v field coils, I'm you're man, I must have at least a half dozen pairs up in the barn I've pulled out to do conversions)

[bloodyjack]

I scored a pair of new old stock 65 field coils for $12 on EBay And a 12 volt horn for $17

C6E978AE-6596-4E0D-8EA0-E510F835C202_zpsqdk5xi5w.jpg (207.11 KiB) Viewed 913 times

[Bigincher]

Nice score. I picked up some awhile back, they don't seem to fetch a lot of money.
I'd like to see the $17 horn.....

[bloodyjack]

553B4DCD-C803-49FD-897E-79D07CC8E1A6_zps4nzrdfez.jpg (67.65 KiB) Viewed 913 times

[58flh]

Bloodyjack----If your looking for even a easier cheaper way to go 12-Volts./Get a 12-volt genny out of a shortster/& mount a bosch regulater on top of it//or in any location you prefer.A new Bosch 12-V regulater is $60---The KNOWN good genny should be $100-$120.Then another 15 or 20-bucks for bulbs!.Go to a Bike boneyard!--They usually have the parts pulled & will run them & check them for output!,you can even get a good headlight!.If you do the Boneyard route ,chop 35 to $50 from the other way of buying parts 1 by 1!.Shoot for the whole gig & get busy.The shortster genny will have a 13-tooth gear on it.You can run the 13 tooth & no problems.BUT just so you know it should be a 14-tooth on the pan & you will have to put your cap on as the shortster will have a slinger most-likely.Just take the nut off & put your parts on the shaft.(DONE).Depending on what year pan you may have to shim under the genny.I think its 58-up that uses no shims & a 5/16 thru-bolt for genny.DD explained a real nice what I would call bullet-proof set-up /a 32 armature & 65-a fieldcoils with the fan genny is a NICE GENNY.BUT it wont be cheap if you dont atleast have the ARM. & genny.----Respectfully---Richie

[Harleyfunds+50]

I've been doing the 6v to12v conversion for years by simply using the 65a fields in the 32e, 52 or fan genny. It's an easy to-do, and you do not have to ride around in second gear to keep charged. For whatever reason, the 65a field is much more efficient than any series or parallel setup. Did extensive testing several years ago with mechanical tach, variable loads, hefty ac motor to run the gennys.
With the 32e, I run a 60/100 halogen headlamp, and as long as I keep it on low beam in town, It does just fine.
With the fan genny, I rode to Daytona from upstate NY two years ago, and ran the headlight and the electric gloves most of the way down. The bonus side of the 6 volt armature is it is virtually indestructible as the heavier gauge windings in the armature resist overheating. How many 65a gennys have you seen that have burned out their armature from one type of misuse or another? For me, the answer is too many.
Hey, each to their own, but I've been running 32e's for 30 years this way and have nothing but smiles.
DL

Hi Frankenstien ,
I just joined this board,
read your article on generators and wonder if you have
couple 65 a for my 32 e to convert it from 6 to 12v???
Will need any and all info to convert my gen
Its a 2 brush from my chopped 50 pan.
gen has no numbers,its been chromed and really want to keep it.
also a delco voltage regulator with 3 places to connect wires,
they aren't marked either...
Thanks
...Tom

[Mark44]

No need to use heavier wire when changing from 6V to 12V.

6V uses the heavier wire(less volts, more amps needed for the same power).

Correctamundo. Direct current lectrical power (in watts) is defined by P = IE, with P in watts, I in amps, and E in volts. An equivalent formula is I = P/E.

If you're running a 60W headlamp at 6V, tha circuit is pulling 60/6 = 10 Amps.

A 60W headlamp running at 12V requires 60/12 = 5A. Less current --> thinner wires (higher AWS gauge numbers).